School-desk



J. D; ATKINSON.

SCHOOL DE SK. APPLICATiON FILED JUNE 29. I920.

Pdfented Jim 21, 1921.

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v I OOLDESK.

APPLICA i N FILED JUNE 29, I920.

Y I PatentedJuneZ 21.

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UNITED STATEd PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN D. ATKINSON, OE PLAIN, WASHINGTON.

SCHOOL-DESK.

Application filed June 29,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, J OHN D. ATKINSON, a citizen of the United tatates of Americagrnd resident of the town of Plain, in the county of Chelan and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful improvements in School-Desks, of which the following is a specification. 7

My invention relates to an improvement in school desks.

The principal object of my invention 15 to provide a desk especially adapted for school use, which will shut in the pupil to such an extent that he cannot readily communlcate with or be disturbed by easily viewing his neighbors, but arranged in such a manner that he may easily see the teacher at the front of the room and the black board.

Another object of my invention is to provide a school desk as described above which may be adjusted to accommodate the needs of different sizes of pupils.

My invention comprises those novel parts and combinations thereof which are shown in the accompanying drawings, described in the specification, and particularly defined by the claims terminating the same.

In the accompanying drawings 1 have shown what is now my preferred form of the invention.

Figure 1 illustrates a section through a class room fitted with my improved school desk, illustrating the manner in which pupils are shut off one from the other but are permitted to view the black board and the teacher.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing my invention installed upon a school desk.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a school desk equipped with my invention.

Fig. 4 is a section showing the manner of securing the side screen of one desk to the next desk to the rear.

By the use of my invention I intend to provide more privacy and seclusion for the pupils, in order to better conditions for study and concentration of mind; to lessen the distraction and scattering of attention of both studious and non-studious pupils; and to lessen the work and nervous strain upon the teacher in maintaining schoolroom discipline and the proper government of the pupils disposed to talk to other pupils, to look around, or to otherwise annoy the teacher or other pupils, thereby detracting Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 21, 1921.

1920. Serial No. 392,618.

from the good order, harmony, and best schoolroom behavior and discipline.

In order to accomplish the results outlined above, I provide a screen in connection with each desk which will close in the individual pupil so that he may not commun1- cate with others without such a serious and noticeable breach of discipline as will deter him from the attempt at communication. These screens I prefer to place upon two sides of the desk only, the front and one of the adjoining sides. A schoolroom with desks so equipped, each of which is closed off from the others upon two like sides, will, close off each pupil from all of the others, but he will have an aisle which is open to permit access to the desk, this aisle being closed 01% at the side opposite the individual pupils desk by a screen like that which closes him off from the other aisle.

One form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein the front screen is formed of two screen walls 1 and 10. The lower screen wall 1 is sup ported at its ends in, and may be secured in, grooved guide members 31 which may be 7 formed integral with the side frame members 3 of the desk. The members 31 should extend upward beyond the desk top'30. In the same manner the side screen members 2 and 20 are supported at one end of the desk and preferably extend from one of the men here 31, which is provided with a rearwardly facing slot 32 to receive the member 2, rearwardly until it contacts with the seat back 33 of the seat used in connection with the desk. The lower screen wall 2 may be supported'also in a strap 3 which extends up *ardly from the side frame member3 at one side of the desk and which may be formed integral therewith if desired. I prefer to secure the rear end of the side screen wall 2 to the frame of the desk in the rear or to the back 33 of the seat, by means of an angular member 35, as shown, which is secured to the outside of the screen wall l, and is'secured between the seat back and themetal frame member 3. i

lhe upper screen walls 10 and 20 should be adjustable vertically upon their respective screen walls 1 and 2. To this end I provide bolts a and nuts 40 cooperating therewith. The bolts l are passed through both of the complemental screen walls and secured by the nuts 40. This forms the support for the upper members 10 or 20. The adjusting means is intentionally made somewhat difiicult to change, except by the use of special tools, to prevent tampering therewith by the pupils.

The screen walls may be made of any suitable material such as wood, metal or frosted glass. If made of materials which are liable to be cracked or broken, reinforcing strips 42 may be secured to these Screen walls. I provide a series of holes -48 in the screen walls or in the reinforcing straps 4:2,, if these are employed, through which the bolts a may be passed. I may form the lower screen walls 1 and 2 of wood or metal and the upper screen walls 10 or 20 of frosted glass, as this would permit a greater amount of light to reach the pupil while at the same time shutting off his View.

In adjusting the device for use, the upper edge of the screen wall 20 should be considerably above the height of the pupils eyes, so that he may not see his neighbor at one side or the other. The upper edge of the screen wall 10 should be substantially at the height of the pupils eyes. It should be so arranged that he may see the teacher or the black board in front of the room without straining his eyes, but he should not be able to see nearer points than this, that is,

seats occupied by other pupils in front of him. 7

My invention is particularly adaptable to school-rooms wherein the seats are arranged in tiers rising toward the rear of the room.-

Such a school room is shown in Fig. 1. By this arrangement with the upper edge of the front screen wall 10 atabout the height of the pupils eyes, he maylook out toward the teacher and may see everything that takes place at the front of the room but he may not see other pupils in front of him.

-What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a'school desk, a screen wall raised from the desk surface at two adjoining sides thereof, and adapted when used with like screen walls on adjoining desks, to shut off the view of the pupil upon all sides.

2. In a school desk, a screen wall raised from the desk surface at the front and at one side thereof, and adapted when used with like screen walls on adjoining desks,

V to-shut off the view of the pupil upon all sides, the front screen wall being low enough to permit the pupil to see and be seen from the front of the room.

3. In a school desk, a screen wall-raised from the front edge of the desk to a line substantially the height of the pupils eyes, and ascreen wall raised from one ofthe side edges of the desk and extending above the height of the pupils eye.

a. In a school desk, a screen wall raised from the front edge of the desk to a line substantially the height of the pupils eyes, and a screen wall raised from one of the side edges of the desk and extending above the height of the pupils eye, said screen walls being formed of an upper and a lower part, the lower part being fixed and the upper part being adjustable thereon.

5. In a school desk, two side frame members, a desk front and top supported thereon, grooved guides extending upward from the front edges of-said side frame members, a front screen wall secured in said grooved guides, the guide at one side having a rearwardly facing groove therein, an upwardly extending strap formed in said side frame at this side, a side screen wall secured in said rearwardly facing groove and'to said strap, and means for securing the rear end of said side screen wall to the front of the next desk to the rear.

6. In a school desk, two side frame members, a desk front and top supported thereon, grooved guides extending upward from the front edges of said side frame members, a front screen wall secured in said grooved guides, the guide at one side having a rearwardly facing groove therein, an upwardly extending strap formed in said side frame this side, a side screen wall secured in said rearwardly facing groove and to said strap, means for securing the rear end of said side screen wall to the front of the next desk to the rear, 4 and supplemental. screens adjustable vertically on said front and side screen walls to bring the upper edge of the screens at will to or above the height of the pupils eye.

7. The combination with a floor forming a series of steps and desks arranged thereon, of a screen wall at one end of each desk extending above the line of sight of the ocdesk stopping just belowthe line of sight of'the occupant.

8. In combination with school desk and therefor, a screen wall extending rearwardly alongside of the seat from one end of the desk, and extending upwardly to one end extending to a height equal to the line of sight of the occupant and a front was extending to alevel below said line of s1 t.

lSigned at Seattle, King county, Washing ton, this 23rd day of June, 1920..

r 1 JOHN D. ATKINSON.

cupant, and a front screen wall upon each. 

